Funny, neither am I!

"Whew... finally made it!"

"That was way too close!"

In front of a tower at the center of the Forest of Death, Hana Inuzuka stretched her weary body as she spoke.

She was on a team with Hokado Hyuga and Yuna Torune.

The three had witnessed Mu Feng take out his first target, the Cloud Ninja's second team.

After that, they had been fairly lucky and encountered a team from a small shinobi village. After a fight, they successfully took the other team's scroll, which happened to form a matching pair with their own.

But on their way to the rendezvous point, they ran into another Konoha team, Ino-Shika-Cho. From them, they learned some information and heard the two nicknames "Uchiha Lone Wanderer" and "Kirigakure Shark."

After discussing it, the three ultimately decided to delay heading to the central rendezvous point.

Only when time was nearly up did they race toward it. The journey had been unpleasant, but they had finally arrived.

Looking at the rendezvous point right before them, Hokado Hyuga finally relaxed his taut nerves.

"Hey, looks like you've collected both scrolls!"

In front of the rendezvous tower, Shiosui Nara smiled at Hokado Hyuga and his teammates.

Hokado Hyuga paused, then frowned, his guard rising slightly.

"Don't worry. We've got both of ours too. Besides, this is already the rendezvous point. No one's going to attack you here!" Shiosui Nara chuckled, and his two teammates stepped out from behind him.

Only then did Hokado Hyuga lower his guard and walk over.

"How do things look?" Hokado Hyuga asked.

Once they had established that they weren't enemies for the moment, they were naturally fellow Konoha shinobi again. Hokado Hyuga also wanted to get some information from Shiosui Nara to prepare for the third exam.

"Thanks to a certain someone, not many of Konoha's teams were eliminated. Only half!"

"The other villages had it much worse, though. Both Cloud Ninja teams were eliminated! You already know the Uchiha Clan kid took out one of them. That guy from Kirigakure took out the other!"

"Both of them are already here, but the atmosphere inside..."

At that, Shiosui Nara sighed helplessly. Hokado Hyuga knew the Nara Clan's temperament well. He glanced into the tower. There were people inside, but it was deathly silent. Clearly, the atmosphere wasn't good.

"Well, you're here too, and it's almost time!" Shiosui Nara straightened up and headed into the tower as he spoke. Hokado Hyuga followed him.

As soon as they entered, gazes swept toward them from all sides. Most held a measure of hostility.

Hokado Hyuga and his teammates picked a spot at random while looking around at the others. Only a few minutes remained before the exam ended. Barring any surprises, these were the people who would participate in the third exam.

Konoha had the most people present. Hokado Hyuga's team and Ino-Shika-Cho alone made six, while Mu Feng leaned against a wall, lost in thoughts no one could guess.

Opposite Mu Feng stood Kisame Hoshigaki and his two teammates. They were the only three from Kirigakure to reach the third exam. To Hokado Hyuga's surprise, another team was present as well, and their forehead protectors showed that they weren't from the Five Great Shinobi Villages.

So far, thirteen people had passed the second exam, and those thirteen would face one another in individual matches during the third.

Time ticked by, and the rendezvous point remained quiet. Everyone studied their prospective opponents, while a few of the bolder teams began exchanging information.

Strangely enough, no one looked at Mu Feng or Kisame Hoshigaki. Everyone who had made it here was smart. The fact that those two had earned nicknames during the exam was proof enough of their power.

Some of the more timid shinobi had already begun praying that they wouldn't be matched against Mu Feng or Kisame Hoshigaki.

Kisame Hoshigaki, however, stared toward Mu Feng with a smile, apparently quite interested in him.

"Time's up!"

"Congratulations on making it here alive!"

Just then, Namiashi Raidō's voice rang out inside the rendezvous point. He wore a pale green shinobi uniform and a faint smile.

Everyone turned to look at Namiashi Raidō, but soon paid him no further attention.

"We'll now inspect your scrolls. Teams that have collected both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll, please come forward. Once your scrolls have been verified, you will have passed this exam."

"Who's first?"

Namiashi Raidō swept his gaze over everyone present. Finally, amid the silence, Shiosui Nara stepped forward first and produced two scrolls.

Namiashi Raidō inspected them. Once he confirmed that the scrolls weren't forged, he indicated that Shiosui Nara's team had passed and told them to wait there. After the inspection, everyone would leave the Forest of Death together.

Next, Hokado Hyuga and the other teams produced their scrolls in turn. Naturally, everyone who had reached the rendezvous point had collected both a Heaven Scroll and an Earth Scroll. Mu Feng also took out his own scrolls.

"Good!"

"It looks like there are no problems with the scrolls. You've passed this exam! In a moment, all of you will be escorted out of the Forest of Death. The third exam will begin in one day."

"Also, during that day, injured shinobi may go to the Medical Department for treatment. Anyone who doesn't wish to participate may withdraw."

"But there's one thing you must keep in mind! During that day, no one may attack another examinee. Anyone who violates this rule will be disqualified from the Chunin Exams and expelled from Konoha."

Finally, Namiashi Raidō stressed the rules.

After the fighting in the Forest of Death, even relationships between shinobi from the same village weren't necessarily on good terms!

Trying to seize a scroll could even cost someone their life!

That kind of hatred was born of a life-or-death struggle. Although many understood that this was only an exam, such hatred wasn't so easily resolved.

The chances of trouble between different villages were even greater. In particular, it wasn't out of the question for examinees to be assassinated during the gap between the second and third exams by someone determined to pass the Chunin Exams.

Seeing no change in anyone's demeanor, Namiashi Raidō nodded in satisfaction.

Soon, several more shinobi arrived at the rendezvous point.

Once arrangements had been made, a group of Jonin escorted everyone out of the rendezvous point and toward the edge of the Forest of Death.

Mu Feng set off as well, following at the very back of the group.

Just then, someone deliberately hung back and approached Mu Feng.

"Be careful of that guy from Kirigakure! He's powerful. He's no Chunin!"

The speaker was none other than Shiosui Nara.

At his words, Mu Feng smiled faintly.

"Funny, neither am I!"

Seeing Mu Feng's expression, Shiosui Nara paused briefly, but soon returned to his usual nonchalant manner.

"Really? Then I'll look forward to seeing what you can do. If my prediction is right, he'll be your opponent!"

"If that's the case, I'm looking forward to it!"

As he finished speaking, Mu Feng turned his gaze toward Kisame Hoshigaki up ahead. At that very moment, Kisame Hoshigaki happened to turn around and look at Mu Feng, a meaningful smile on his face.